Terrarium

I am always looking for new ways to bring a little of the great outdoors, indoors. A splash of green foliage in the home can cheer up the dreariest of rainy days and with a little creativity, a DIY terrarium is a speedy indoor project.

Firstly, you need a clear glass container. There are lots of dedicated terrarium variations on the high street, but it is just as effective to use an old vase or a large Kilner jar.

Next, create a bed that allows the roots of your plants to breathe and prevents them from drowning. To do this, cover the bottom of your container with gravel, shells, pebbles or a mixture of them all. If like me, your kids always fetch home pocket fulls of shells from the beach, mixing some of them with your gravel bed is a great way to finally find them a home.

For low maintainance, choose a selection of fuss free plants such as mosses, cacti and succulents. All these have fantastic colours and textures making them great to view up close.

Position your plants taking into account where your terrarium will be viewed from. If using as a table centre, it will be admired from all sides. Grouping plants in odd numbers always gives a more pleasing effect. Once positioned, add a suitable compost around them to the level it was in the plants pots.

Cover the soil with more pebbles or shells and dress with some live moss. Not only will this cover the soil making it look more attractive, it also absorbs odours and excess water. Place out of direct sunlight and water sparingly.